Mr Joseph Tang, Sunyani Municipal Coordinating Director, has stressed the need for the leadership of the Ghana Trades Union Congress (TUC) to open channels of communication to enable members of the various unions to become abreast with what was expected of them.
Mr Tang represented the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Mr Kwasi Oppong Ababio at a symposium on Wednesday, organised by the
Brong-Ahafo Regional Council of Labour in Sunyani.
He blamed the leadership of some unions for their failure to communicate effectively the outcome of meetings they attended to colleagues.
The symposium was aimed at rekindling workers’ interest in the region towards this year’s regional May Day celebration to be
organized at Nsawkaw in the Tain District. This year’s May Day is under the theme: “Decent work for Sustainable Economic Development”.
It was attended by hundreds of representatives from all the 15 national unions of the TUC in the region.
Mr Tang indicated that lack of communication channels “has done more harm than good to both employees and employers”.
The Coordinating Director, who spoke on Governance, stressed that decent work hinged on good and harmonious relationship between the
employer and employee, stating that the decentralized system of administration was to ensure good accountability, progress and smooth
administration.
Speaking on “Organised Labour”, Mr Opoku Agyemang, acting Brong-Ahafo Regional Industrial Relations Officer, stressed that employees and employers had the right to join any association of their choice.
The Acting Regional Industrial Relations Officer: “By the Constitution of Ghana, public officers have to honour and abide by what is enshrined in the national document regarding the formation of an association in that context so as not to bring any company, department or organisation into dispute.”
Mr Agyemang mentioned occupational hazards such as safety and health as areas if not checked could cause the downfall of a worker either while at post or after retirement and advised the leadership of unions to fight for members.
Mr Sylvester Nabengyey, a representative from the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), speaking on Pension, emphasized that
decent work must always be matched with better remuneration.